The New South Wales government has heavily invested in an initiative that encourages everyone to waste less and recycle more. From 2017 to 2021, the initiative was given over $300 million of funding, with the aim to modernise the NSW waste sector. The idea is to encourage communities to recycle more and waste less, prevent illegal dumping, avoid littering, support new programs and regulatory approaches, and ensure waste infrastructure is conveniently located and cost-efficient.
The initiative was extended to the end of June 2022, when it shifts into the Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy 2041. The more recycling services we have in the community, the cleaner our environment will be.
What Is Recycling?
Recycling is a process whereby materials generally viewed as waste are collected, processed, and turned into new products. It’s a process that benefits your community, and the environment as well.
There are three different types of recycling.
Mechanical recycling is the most commonly used method globally. It is suitable to recycle plastics to transform them into new material without needing to alter the chemical structure. It grinds, washes, separates, dries, granulates, and compounds the plastic so it can be used time and time again, whether it’s for the same product or a similar one.
Energy recycling converts plastic into elastic or thermal energy by leveraging the heat energy created through incineration. It is most commonly used in Japan and Europe. Chemical recycling is complex because it alters the structure. It’s expensive and rarely used outside of laboratories.
Why Is Recycling So Important?
We live in a consumer-driven society, but one that is becoming increasingly aware of the need to do better. Recycling saves energy, preserves natural resources, and creates less harm to both the environment and the globe’s animals. The less we are mining or extracting raw materials, thanks to recycling, the better it is for the world. It also reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills, which is crucial to reducing greenhouse gases.
What You Can Recycle
The majority of recyclable items will have a symbol denoting they are recyclable, this includes aluminium, cardboard, paper, milk and juice cartons, empty aerosols, and glass. You can also recycle batteries, mobile phones, old appliances, office equipment, soft plastics, clothing, scrap metal, gardening waste, organics, and printer cartridges. The key is to know what should be recycled and where to ensure it ends up in the right place.
5 Benefits of Recycling
- Natural-Resource Saving
The majority of the raw materials we use to produce goods come from natural resources. We use trees to create timber products and paper. The glass-making process would be impossible without sand. Lithium is necessary for electronics. As an industry, farming clears forests to convert them into pastures for livestock. And the majority of the world’s crops are used to feed that livestock. There needs to be a balance, and recycling is a major part of that. A study from the University of Southern Indiana has highlighted just how many of our natural resources we can save through recycling. A tonne of recycled paper can save 17 trees, over 25,000 litres of water, and almost 1,500 litres of oil.
- Greenhouse Gas Emission Reducing
Trees might be crucial to creating paper and timber products, but they are also a major part of our ecosystem. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and provide oxygen. Dead trees, however, release more emissions when irresponsibly cut. By recycling as much as possible we reduce the emissions we reduce, from paper products to food waste.
- Reduces Incineration Rates
When it comes to waste disposal, there are only three final resting places for the waste to land. Waste can go to the landfill, it can go to a recycling centre, or it can end up at an incineration facility. There are other treatments available, but it depends on the waste and the council’s system. In the past, landfill has been the first choice. Today, however, the landfill should be the last option. It takes hundreds of years for waste to break down at landfills, releasing emissions all the while. Incineration is a better alternative to landfills, but this also creates greenhouse gases. So, recycling ensures that less goes to the landfill and that fewer items are incinerated.
- Protects the Environment
The more forests that humans clear the fewer natural habitats remain for local wildlife. They don’t just lose shelter, it also impacts their food sources. Every year, tree-clearing in NSW causes the death of 5 million animals. For wild animals who rely on trees as habitation, New South Wales is the worst possible place in Australia to live. The koala population in NSW is declining faster than global averages. And in the last four decades, the global wildlife population has declined by 60%.
- Cost-Saving
As important as recycling is for the planet, it’s also important for the price of goods. Recycled goods are more cost-efficient.
How Cheapest Load of Rubbish Can Help
If you are looking for rubbish removal in Sydney, Cheapest Load of Rubbish can help. We are your friendly Sydney rubbish removal company. Contact us today and schedule a time for a member of our team to visit your property and provide you with a free, no-obligation quote.
